Cooling system for internal-combustion engines.



APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, I917- Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

Ell/TOR 2274 m,

LEON GAMMEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COOLING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 191%.

Application filed June 29, 1917. Serial No. 177,719.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LnoN CAMMEN, citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cooling Systems for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cooling systems for internal combustion engines, and my improvements are directed to means whereby a constant, efficient temperature may be maintained in the jacket water.

Careful investigations of heat temperature control in automobile engines, made within the last two or three years, have shown that the higher the temperature of outgoing jacket Water, the higher the efficiency of the engine (cp. paper by Kettering, S. A. E. Bulletin,

September 1916). J. B. Replogle, director of research, Remy Electric Co. (z'bioL, p. 703), by controlling the temperature of the jacket until he began to boil the water, found that with all the rest of the equipment exactly the same as it had been, he increased the mileage of the machine from 18 to 31.6 miles per gallon.

There are however practical difiiculties in the way of allowing the jacket water to boil, which have hitherto prevented any attempt to do it in practice. The average driver does not care to carry with him an extra supply of water, and to stop every couple of miles to refill the tank especially as facilities for doing so may be often lacking. Condensation of the steam with the usual system of air current cooling is also impractical, as the condenser, as shown by cooling tower practice in steam plants, would have to be of prohibitive dimensions.

The present invention is based on the fact that, first, water may be conveniently cooled by a flow of air, and, second, it is easy to design and build a small size surface condenser to take care of the comparatively small amount of steam formed in the jackets.

Moreover, as only condensation, and not vacuum is desired, there is no need pf an air pump. In fact, the presence of air in the condenser is even desirable, as it raises the temperature of steam generation, and thus reduces the amount of steam formed.

Therefore my invention conslsts of a closed circuit water cooling system which includes the engine jacket, a radiator wherein temperature reduction is bounded by certain limitations, and having means forthe condensation and return of vapors generated in the circuit; also a secondary water cooling circuit which includes a usual form of radiator and an inclosure for the first named radiator and condensing means.

Each of the cooling systems may be operated by a pump; and one of them may be controlled by a valve which is operated through the functioning of a thermostat included in the other system.

Other features and advantages of my said invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing,

Figure l'shows in side elevation a portion of a motor vehicle having my improvement represented, more or less diagrammatically thereon, and a Fig. 2 is a detail, enlarged view of the thermostatic valve.

Since I have elected to explain myjnvention as applied in motor car-practice, let 1 indicate a chassis, 2 a motor thereon, and 3 the cooling jacket therefor.

A radiator consisting of water ducts 4, head 5 and base 6, is connected with the engine jacket as by pipes 7, 8, having circulatmg pump 9. Said radiator, nhich may be termed the closed circuit radiator, is inclosed within a water casing 10, which is connected with a usual form of radiator 11, as by pipes 12, 13, having a circulating pump 14. The radiator 11 is presented to the influence of cooling air, whose draft is increased as by a fan 15. Thus the closed circuit radiator is subjected to the influence of cooling water within casing 10. It is my purpose however to regulate the temperature of the water passing through casing 10, in order that by this means the water passing through the closed circuit radiator may be maintained at an eflicient degree of temperature. Regulating means such as I may employ for this purpose will be described herelnafter.

Above casing 10 I provide another water casing 16 to inclose a condenser 17, which is in communication with the head 5 0f the closed circuit radiator, so that steam or vapor entering said radiator will pass in to said condenser, and permitting the products of condensation to return by gravity flow to said closed circuit radiator.

The casing 16 communicates, as by pipes 18, 13 with radiator 11, the pump let functioning equally in this service.

ilo

' at around the boiling point, then it will be necessary to regulate the quantity of cooling water passing into casing 10 from radiator 11. This I may do as by placing a valve 19 in the pipe 12 and controlling said valve by a thermostat 20 in the pipe 7.

Obviously the particular arrangement and location of the thermostatic valve members is not material, provided they perform the desired function, which is that of varying the volume of water entering casing 10 from the radiator, to thereby maintain an approximately constant temperature in the closed circuit radiator.

Assuming that it be desired-to maintain the closed circuit radiator at the boiling temperature, then the thermostat will be set accordingly, and will function to regulate the valve to the stated end, irrespective of atmospheric conditions.

lVith the water at the boiling point. in the closed circuit radiator, steam generated therein will pass into the condenser, but will not escape. The cool water from radiator 11, passing through casing 16, will restore the steam to liquid form, enabling it to return by gravity flow to the closed circuit radiator. Thus no loss in cooling water will occur in the closed circuit, notwithstanding the relatively high and etficient temperature at which it is maintained.

In cases where alcohol or other volatile anti-freezing agents are mixed with thecooling water, and which would be readily lost through evaporation if operating at high temperatures with the ordinary cooling systems, the advantage of the closed circuit will be clearly apparent.

Variations may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my said invention, and parts thereof used without others.

I claim Y 1. The method of cooling internal combustion motors which consists in circulating a fluid medium through a closed circuit ineluding an engine jacket and radiator, and circulating a liquid medium through a second circuit including an air cooled radiator;

the first tion motors, comprising an engine jacket, a

radiator, an inclosing casing therefor, a condenser in communication with said radiator, an inclosing casing for said condenser, an air cooled radiator, means for circulating water between said inclosed radiator and jacket, means for circulating water between said radiator casing and air cooled radiator, and means for circulating water between said condenser casing and air cooled radiator.

4:. A cooling system for internal combustion motors, comprising an engine jacket, a radiator, an inclosing casing therefor, a condenser in communication with said radiator,

an inclosing casing for said condenser, an

air cooled radiator, means for circulating water between said inclosed radiator and jacket, means for circulating water between said radiator casing and air cooled radiator, means for circulating water between said condenser casing and air cooled radiator,

and thermostatic means, governed by the temperature of the water from the jacket, to regulate the flow of cooling water to the radiator casing.

Signed at New York city, in thecounty of New York and State of New York this 28th day of June A. D.: 1917.

. LEON CAMMEN.

Witnesses: v

F. W. WALKER, A. B. BARKER. 

